St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-19
GETTING SICK OF IT.

This spring weather is having bilious
effect on Editor JONES. of the New York
Times. Mr.. JONES was one. of the chief
Mugwumpers in 1884, and took a great
pride in the part he contributed to CLEvE-
LANDS election. If there was ANYTHING
that the Times dotted on it was civil service
reform. The competitive plan for filling
offices was the apple of its eye. 1t was
supposed that the Times was committed to
the civil service law as long as the govern
ment existed, and that it would support
Mr.. CLEVELAND on civil service reform
platform for as many terms as he may
live to want. But latterly there have been
some indications that Mr.. JONES is not as
fond of civil service reform as he was. His
stomach evinees dyspeptic sensitiveness
whenever he tastes civil service. His paper
is disposed to bubble at the president for
adhering too closely to civil service rules.
In an issue of recent date the Times
says: 1.-The administration has two
sources of genus evil to deal with. One of
these is the worthless and inefficient ele-
ment in the departments, which should be
speedily eliminated, and the other
the partisans, who, with more or
less concealment of their feeling.
are hostile to the administration,
and industrious that it shall succeed" This
is exactly what great many Democrats
have been saying. but what the Mugwumps
have been opposing, because to have re-
moved these classes would, in the judgment
of the Mugwumps. have been violation OF
~ III aT 81. rnfn A rnct
many honest Democrats are of the opinion
that the administration has made mistake
in retaining so many Republican chiefs OF
division, but every time they said so the Mug
wumps denounced them as spoilSmen. 1t IS
now a most significant fact to hear the lead
ing Mugwump journal of the country growl-
ing at the administration for doing that for
which it has been most criticized by its own
party leaders. 1t is getting through the
heads OF a great many people. who didn't
use to think so, that there is good deal OF
humbuggery about this civil service busl-
ness, anyway. The system of appointments
under the civil service rules is nothing more
than case of the blind leading the blind
Applicants file their papers, and they are
selected without any personal knowledge OF
their abilities, or their lack thereof, by the
appointing power. They are judged wholly
by their examination papers. Many a
fellow can pass good examination. with
judicious coaching. who knows absolutely
nothing of actual business, and who lacks
business qualifications. Under the old spois
system, where applicants were selected be-
cause of political ability. there was generally
more or less business ability under their hats,
too. At any rate they were generally vouched
for by responsible parties who had oppor-
tunity to know something of their Quaitica-
tons. If the administration is troubled with
worthless and inefficient element in the
departments as the Times alleges, the civil
service law is responsible for it. If he re-
tans hostile partisans AS chiefs OF division
he is responsible for it, and the lecture
which Editor Jones writes him Oh this mat
ter may be timely after all. At all events it
is matter worth looking into.